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MENTONE – Mentone Town Council Wednesday discussed two organizations bringing services to the town.
Councilman Tim Croy said about two months ago, Mentone lost its visits from the Northern Indiana Food Bank truck. The truck used to go to Helping Hands, but after Jerry Secrist died on June 16, 2023, Helping Hands closed.
Croy said he contacted Northern Indiana Food Bank and they went down to Mentone to do two different site studies to bring that truck to. The two options were the park starting next year and Mentone United Methodist Church.
The food bank contacted Croy and said they will bring their truck back to Mentone starting Sept. 2 and will be there from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at the church, 116 E. Main St. They will have enough food to service 150 families, the same as they have before, he said. People will have to enter the church property from Broadway Street.
Croy said, hopefully, this will work out well.
There is not a set day out of the month. There will be a monthly release of where they will be during the month and when, Croy said.
Earlier in the meeting, Jessica Camerena, from Live Well Kosciusko, said Live Well Kosciusko has a collaboration with Parkview’s Francine’s Friends Mobile Mammography and the Kosciusko County Health Department to bring mobile mammography screenings to rural communities in Kosciusko County.
She approached the council to see if Mentone would be a host site.
President Jill Gross said she believed the council was approached before about being a host site “and missed the last time.” Camerena said she believed so. During the COVID-19 pandemic, “it kinda fell off,” but they’re working to bring it back.
The RV will be in town from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. one day during the week. Camerena said they do not have a date yet. Right now, they are scheduling things six months in advance, so they are looking to set something up in 2026.
The first step was to confirm the town was willing to be a host site. Then once a day opens up, they will book the date with the town, Camerena said. Live Well Kosciusko will help with advertising the event.
It is for women 40 and over. If the women have insurance, the mammogram will go through insurance. There is also funding through Parkview if the woman is underinsured, based on income level, Camerena said.
Town Marshal Keaton Schopf said once a day is set, he will schedule himself for work that day, so there will someone there.
The council approved being a host site.
In other business, the council:
• Approved publicizing there will be a 2026 budget hearing at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 3 with an adoption meeting at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 1.
• Approved a $600 invoice from Troyer Group for construction administration for the park upgrade project.
There were two invoices from TRG they did not approve paying, for $61,758.59 and $13,125.14, for the park project due to concerns about the park possibly not being done by the project deadline. Gross said she will reach out to someone to see how the council should proceed with the invoices.
• Heard Utilities Superintendent Josh Shepherd and town utilities employee Corbin Hudson have replaced about 130 water meters in town.
Shepherd said he wanted to delay asking for help replacing the rest of the water meters in town for a month to see where he and Hudson were. During the July 2 meeting, the council approved for Shepherd to use up to $25,000 with Neco Water to help install new water meters in town.
• Approved purchasing two body cameras and two in-car cameras with a five-year contract from Utility Inc. for the Mentone Police Department for a total of $24,544. There will be five payments over the course of five years, with the initial payment being $9,817.60.
• Heard from Schopf there have been 15 people who registered their golf carts so far. There have been two people receive waivers.
Schopf asked town attorney Austin Rovenstine about what he would do if someone was to receive three ordinance violations, noting the ordinance states the registration of the cart will be revoked.
Rovenstine said he will check with the exact wording of the ordinance, but from his memory, he believes Schopf would just tear up the registration after three violations and fine the person if he sees them riding the golf cart again.
